


Nashville Christmas

by UnicornAffair



Series: Ranger Holiday One Shots [4]
Category: Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-09-22 05:51:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17054360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnicornAffair/pseuds/UnicornAffair
Summary: It wasn't a secret that Billy loved country music, so for the holidays Jason wanted to bring him somewhere special for their first Christmas together as a couple.





	Nashville Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> Day 5 of my 12 Days of Christmas fics. Today is dedicated to Cranscott
> 
> Music Credit to John Denver, my apparent go to when it comes to old fashioned country

After being a power ranger for a year, and officially dating Billy Cranston for nine months, Jason had learned a  _ lot  _ about the blue ranger; specifically, how he handled surprises. Billy did  _ not  _ like being surprised, he wasn’t good at adjusting to sudden changes of plan. He  _ also  _ wasn’t good at being  _ in  _ on surprising someone else. Honestly, it was a bit of a miracle that Billy kept his secret of being the blue ranger. He hated lying, and he always loved to share any news that excited him. 

For the holiday Jason wanted to give Billy something special, after all, this would be their first Christmas as a couple. After talking to Trini, Kimberly and Zack;  _ and  _ getting permission from both his parents and Mrs. Cranscott. Jason decided that he would be taking Billy to Nashville Tennessee, home of country music as his boyfriend’s gift. 

The  _ best  _ way to tell Billy, or surprise Billy, was to give him the news in a situation where Billy  _ expected  _ to get gifts. Aka. His birthday. The blue ranger lit up at the airline tickets in his red birthday envelope. Ever since his father had passed, he had always  _ wanted  _ to got to Nashville. Country music was one of the biggest things they bonded over,  _ especially  _ older country songs. His father never had the chance, or the means to help support his family  _ and  _ take Billy on vacation. 

“How did you get these?” Billy asked, traveling  _ all the way  _ across the country in a tight compartmented zord fit for one wasn’t the most ideal way to travel. It was too dangerous to even try, there wasn’t a nice place to store them for safe keeping or stop people from  _ seeing  _ them. They wouldn’t be power rangers, just boyfriends. 

Jason didn’t have a job. Being a power ranger took up his free time, he had to be ready at the drop of a hat. Places of employment weren’t  _ keen  _ on their employees having to take off at any given time. “I sold the truck” He had Alpha fix it up as much as he could to get the most out of the truck. As a power ranger he really didn’t  _ need _ a truck for transportation around town. 

Selling the old truck meant he had extra money for not only the airline tickets, but for the hotel, live shows, food, museums and whatever else Billy wanted to do. 

The blue ranger frowned, he knew how hard money was to come by. “You didn’t have to do that” Zack, Trini and Kimberly looked from the blue ranger to the red. This wasn’t a conversation they needed to be around for, but felt stuck in this room. 

“I know, but I wanted to” Jason bit his lip, he was doing his best to try and be romantic here. “We work so hard at saving the world, that we all deserve a little break sometimes. This is  _ our  _ chance to get away and be with each other. Just you and me” 

Billy glanced down to the tickets, nodding his head in understanding. He loved his team with all his heart but Jason...he was loved in a  _ different  _ kind of way. “I’ve always wanted to go to Nashville”

The blue ranger kept a notebook, counting down the days until their trip. Every morning, Billy would text Jason when he woke up letting him know how quickly approaching their big day would be. He did thorough research on what places had the best food, he knew that Jason wasn’t big on his taste in music but the red ranger sure liked to eat. They only had a limited amount of time, and Billy didn’t want to waste a second. 

*****

Thank  _ god  _ for their enhanced dna, the boys were  _ not  _ prepared for Tennessee snow. When they reached their hotel, Billy was enthralled by the snowflakes drifting down from the night sky. They certainly didn’t have  _ this _ in hot Southern California. Billy had brought a couple of long sleeved shirts, if he and Jason were  _ normal  _ they’d need more layers, that was for sure. 

Billy held his hand out, waiting for the snow to fall into his palm and quickly thereafter melt. “Wow” a smile crept on his face. He tilted his head up to the clouds, wanting to see for himself how unique each flake coming down would be. 

Jason, of course, had a different reaction the snow. Instead of being gentle with it, he started to pack snow into his hand forming a ball. He’d always wanted to do this, to experience a snowball like he had seen in the movies. Jason  _ wished _ his target was Zack, the black ranger, but Billy would have to do. With a quarterbacks aim he hit Billy square on the shoulder. 

Billy was taken aback by the sudden pressure against his body. He started to scoop snow into his hands as fast as possible, anything to get Jason to stop laughing at how funny he thought Billy’s face looked upon getting slammed with a snowball. “Oh ho! Now you’ve done it!”

Billy and Jason, despite being the Earth’s defenders were still teenagers at heart. The boys would scoop snow into their hands as quickly as possible to try and hurl an icy assault on the other. Billy managed to hit Jason square in the chin, only to get one back dead in the chest while he was doing a gloating victory dance. The next throw and Jason ducked down, the ball missing and going straight into the hotels sign. That sign didn’t stand a damn chance against a power ranger’s strong throw. Billy and Jason didn’t  _ quite _ realize how much umph they put in their throws until the sign fell straight off their post. 

“Oops?” Billy rubbed the back of his neck, apologetically. Jason was quick to tap the blue ranger’s shoulder to get him moving. They couldn’t be caught as the ones who did it.

Zack, Kimberly and Trini really would have loved playing in the snow. Perhaps for another day, as for Jason and Billy, their trip had only just begun. 

*****

The first day of their trip, Billy wanted to take in the history of the city. Jason wasn’t huge on museums or bus tours, but this trip was all about making the blue ranger happy. Besides, even if Jason wouldn’t retain many of the fun facts, he could never forget the way Billy would light up or lean over to whisper an addition to what they were saying. 

To Billy, these people were the ones his dad would listen to when he was  _ his  _ age. They’re the songs that got him through his happiest moments, and they’re the songs he would listen to during the hard days at work. First loves and heartbreaks, friendships and good times, country roads and mountain tops. To the blue ranger, it wasn’t only about a song but a story, a feeling. Jason started to pay more attention when Billy told him he reminded him of the late great Johnny Cash, and after listening to a Spotify playlist, Jason could see the similarities. Maybe old school country wasn’t the  _ worst.  _

Every day they would try to make it to a live performance. It didn’t matter  _ who  _ was playing; whether it be a celebrity or just a no-name trying to make it in the world. Billy didn’t contribute much but he was sure to leave a tip wherever he could to show how much he appreciated their efforts. One of the many reasons to why Jason fell in love with Billy to begin with, his generosity toward other people. 

It was at night where Jason and Billy went for ‘nicer’ dinners. There was one thing they could both agree on, southern cooking absolutely hit the spot and appetite of a power ranger. Steaks, chicken, pulled pork, corn bread, rice, Mac n’cheese, the list went on and on. These boys were in heaven and not a salad in sight. The only vegetable on their plate consisted of a loaded baked potato. 

At a honkey tonk bar music started to play, a simple line dance that Billy knew all the steps to. “C’mon” The blue ranger got up from his seat, opening and closing his hand to motion for Jason to follow him out on the dance floor, “I love this song”

“Ah, I don’t know the dance” Jason would rather poke at his dinner just a bit more. 

Billy moved his shoulders from side to side, that boy had far more rhythm coursing through his veins. “It’s easy, I’ll show you” He managed to get Jason to stand, Billy’s shoulders moved as he continued to step back. “You don’t have to feel embarrassed”

“Easy for you to say” The red ranger laughed, allowing Billy to pull him towards the dance floor. “You’re good at this kind of thing” 

“That’s because I know when to let loose” Trini and Billy were ones that loved to dance, she even taught him some dances she had grown up with. As much as Trini  _ hated  _ to admit, she had her own past with country music and between that and dances from her own culture she could really get down. Jason’s hips definitely didn’t sway as sexily as Billy, or Trini’s. Even Zack had more rhythm. Jason would be perfectly happy with  _ watching  _ his team had a good time. Jumping at a mosh pit or standing to listen to music was much more his speed.

“Now relax” Billy got onto the dance floor, getting Jason next to him. “Here, follow my lead. Left foot...right foot...alright there you go!” 

Was Jason good at keeping up with the crowd? No. But he could’ve taken this one or two ways, pout and hate every minute of it or  _ try _ and keep up with everyone else, having a sense of humor and laughing at the fact that even though he had two left feet and was a couple of seconds behind he could smile and laugh at himself. With Billy around, what else even mattered?

Billy asked to have a couple of twenties from Jason’s wallet. Since they were still on the young side, Jason had to carry a lot of cash to fund this trip. How could the red ranger say no to his boyfriend? How could  _ anyone  _ say no to Billy Cranston? That kid deserved the world. 

When Billy returned he had a cowboy hat on, another one in hand to give to Jason. Not only that but he had a belt buckle in hand, a red one with a gold longhorn on the front. If they were getting country, Billy wanted to do it right. He made sure to get the others something great too. Zack a t-shirt, Kimberly a snow globe, Trini a CD, and of course he bought Alpha a Nashville magnet to go on the wall of travels in the ship. The rangers always tried to bring home a magnet from wherever they went, after a year of defending the world...that wall was  _ filling  _ up quick with memories. 

“How do I look?” Jason asked, putting the black cowboy hat on his head.

Billy reached forward to straighten out Jason’s collar. The red and black plaid suited him well, “Like an up and coming star”

“Too bad I can't sing” Jason laughed, too bad he couldn’t dance either. 

As much fun as the two had dancing, Billy’s favorite part was walking along the Nashville streets after dark. Sure, the city was amazing during the  _ day _ but at  _ night  _ all the streets were lit up for Christmas. With the snow crunching beneath their feet at every stop, it very well felt like they were in the snow globe he had bought for Kimberly. A perfect scene, so perfect that it somehow didn’t feel real. Billy squeezed onto Jason’s hand, it was real alright. 

“My dad would’ve loved this place” Billy solemnly nodded his head as they passed a local bar. Sounds of a group doing a cover of Dolly Parton's  _ Jolene  _ filled the air. In their free hands, the boys carried a hot chocolate, the drink of choice for light watching. “I wish he could’ve experienced it”

“I know…” Jason didn’t have much to offer in terms of advice. He didn’t  _ lose  _ a parent. “I’m sorry he couldn’t be here”

Billy took a sip of his hot chocolate, the liquid bringing a warm comfort to his core, “He would’ve loved you, you know” 

Jason didn’t think too highly of himself, even as the team leader, he knew that the others had more desirable traits. Billy was the smart one, Trini became the team’s older sister, Kim was obviously the pretty one, Zack was so selfless...Jason? He always felt average. He made for the best leader because he balanced everyone out. “Yeah?”

“Yeah” Billy repeated, once more with feeling. “I’m lucky to have you in my life” He then looked down to his feet, “He would’ve seen that too” 

“You know he still lives on  _ with  _ you, right?” Jason pitched his empty hot chocolate cup in a trash can as the boys passed. 

“I know” The blue ranger looked up to the night sky. Jason could see the overhead Christmas lights reflecting against brown glistening eyes. “He lives on in every song I listen to” 

Billy then turned his head in Jason’s direction, singing quietly the lyrics from a song by the late John Denver,  _ “Now the time has come to leave you. One more time, let me kiss you. Then close your eyes and I’ll be on my way _ .” Billy smiled, albeit sadly,  _ “Dream about the days to come. When I won’t have to leave alone. About the times I won’t have to say”  _

Jason knew this song well enough, he sometimes heard it on Billy’s playlist...the playlist he listened to when he missed his father and wanted to be alone. 

_ “Kiss me and smile for me. Tell me that you’ll wait for me...hold me like you’ll never let me go. Cause I’m leaving on a jet plane…”  _ He let out a sigh, finishing with a solemn,  _ “Don’t know when I’ll be back again…” _

Jason started to rub Billy’s back, breaking him from his train of thought. The blue ranger smiled apologetically, “Sorry, I got carried away” Country music was his way of filling the hole in his heart his dad had left when he died. 

“Don’t ever apologize” not when it came to remembering his one and only father. “Not for that”

The blue ranger nodded his head, wiping his eye with the back of his hand, even if he didn’t feel cold any tears could freeze in this kind of weather. “Can we come again next year?”

Jason smiled, tucking a crooked finger underneath Billy’s chin to tilt his head toward him. The red ranger leaned forward to capture the lips of the blue’s. Despite being in a lively city, music all around them, Jason and Billy felt like they were the only ones there under the Christmas lights.

“We can come back  _ every  _ year”


End file.
